The Latvian Association of Local Governments (LSS) calls for a safety audit of schools in all local governments during the summer period to assess the readiness of educational institutions for various threats.
As stated at the meeting of the Saeima Education, Culture and Science Committee by LSS representative Inara Dundure, it is necessary to clarify the actual situation at the local government level and determine what preparatory work is still needed to ensure the safety of children.
She reported that the Crisis Management Center and the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have already provided the basic information. At the same time, each educational institution should develop its own action plan and identify the safest places in case of a threat.
"The experience of Valmiera shows that the areas [where threats exist] can be more extensive. This needs to be done across the country, especially in Latgale," emphasized Dundure.
The head of the Daugavpils local government, Andris Elksniņš, critically commented on some safety recommendations at the meeting, pointing out that in many places they do not correspond to the real conditions in schools and kindergartens.
He particularly highlighted the so-called 'two walls' principle, which stipulates staying in a room during a threat where there are at least two walls between people and the outside of the building. According to him, in the vast majority of schools and preschool educational institutions, this requirement is impossible to fulfill.
As Elksniņš pointed out, the situation in kindergartens is such that due to a lack of suitable premises, educators have virtually no opportunity to provide children with a shelter that meets the recommendations.
"The kindergarten teacher is looking for these two walls, and it turns out that for a group of 25 children, this is three square meters in the corridor," noted the local government head.
Elksniņš also pointed out problems in cases of prolonged threats when children have to stay for a long time in unsuitable premises. Similar problems exist in standard school buildings, where there are windows in almost all rooms, including corridors, sports halls, and auditoriums. As a possible solution, he mentioned the construction of new educational institutions that would initially meet modern safety requirements.
At the same time, as Elksniņš emphasized, the main issue in such situations is the safety of children, not the continuity of the educational process.
Deputy Head of the SFRS Ivars Nakurts explained that currently, shelters are not recommended for use in case of threats, as in many places they are not yet ready. Many local governments have received funding from the European Regional Development Fund for these purposes, but equipping shelters takes time.
According to Nakurts, local governments and schools need a flexible approach. In cases where school basements meet safety requirements, they should be used, and if such premises are not available, other potentially safe places in the building should be sought. As an alternative, he also mentioned the possibility of organizing remote learning if necessary.
As an example, Nakurts mentioned the Rezekne local government. "In the local government, there are stickers saying 'Safe Place' in the corridors. Of course, there are windows at the end of the corridor, but there are safe places between them where work can continue," he said.
The SFRS representative also noted that several local governments in Latgale and Vidzeme have already done significant work in the field of safety. "The question is what are Kurzeme, Zemgale, and Riga doing," said Nakurts.
